Live the Life you have imagined!

This is my thought of the day :

As many of you know our daughter was born very ill.  She has had a long, hard battle to health and has endured many things.  When we found that she was going to be born with many health issues I found this quote and decided I would re-do her nursery (before she even saw it) with this statement on her wall.  I chose this quote by Henry David Thoreau because I wanted her to know, from the very start, that she could be ANYTHING and EVERYTHING she dreamed.  Now, almost 6 year later I watch her dance, dream and pick wildflowers and I know that she is living the dream!  She is a miracle and as much as she doesn’t understand that yet, she will.  In the coming years as she grows up to be her own person I will make it my goal for her to understand… no matter what challenges lay ahead in life, you CAN be anything you CHOOSE, so long as you are willing to work hard enough!

As each of my brides are planning these gorgeous affairs for their weddings, I hope each of you remember… to GO CONFIDENTLY in the direction of your dreams.  Because budgets and time cannot stop you from living the life (and wedding day!) that you have imagined!

TO DO: Tuesday Wedding Aisle Decor

So many times Brides spend a ton of time (and lots of MONEY) on decorating their receptions.  We then get to the ceremony (arguably what the entire day was created for!) and there is little to no decor.  A well place flower arrangement at the front, some programs at the back and call it a day.  You know, I think your ceremony should be just as magical as the rest of the day… it is, after all, what the ENTIRE wedding is about!  MARRYING the man of your dreams!

I understand not wanting to spend an arm and a leg on decorating your aisle (wherever that might be) but a bit of well placed decor and a few pops of color can go a long way!

Take Ryan and Rachel, for example.  They were married at Talon Winery, here in Lexington.  Talon is a BEAUTIFUL location, yes, but they chose to use a few pops of color in the form of dangling flowers under the gazeebo and a few tucked into the shrubs.  They also hung old glass jars with bunches of daisies from shepherd’s hooks and lined the aisle with them along with piles of yellow and white flower petals.

But their wedding was outside… Mine is in a church!  No problem… you CAN be creative with pews!  I promise  One of our brides from last year, Kelsey, decorated her aisle with bunches of Kentucky wildflowers in baskets that hung from the pews.  It was soft, subtle, homey and made a big impact!

Or you can do something that requires NO florals at ALL.  Here are some simple ideas I found on Pinterest:

From : atwestend.com but could easily be hand crafted for very little money!

Or instead of expensive chair scarves and covers, order large rolls of ribbon in a single or multi colors and use them to spruce up the chairs at the ceremony / reception.

Idea from: United with love

Or maybe a cute vintage sign denoting the spots for the parents to sit at the wedding like these we found on Etsy:

However you choose to do it, DO put some thought into the aisle you will walk down toward your new life.  It will be the last things you see as a “single” lady and those moments should be just as beautiful as the rest of the wedding day!

Kyle & Taylor’s Hometown Maysville, Kentucky Engagement

I have gotten used to seeing brides MOST of the time in the booking process.  About half the time I see the groom before the engagement session and the other half I won’t meet him until then.  As supportive as most guys are… many are really hands off with the wedding planning process.  NOT this groom!  Kyle was the first to contact me and I knew from the start that he must be a keeper!  Kyle and Taylor have had a whirlwind romance that quickly led to an engagement.  I was honored to be able to meet up with them in Taylor’s hometown, Maysville, KY for their engagement photo shoot.  I have to say, I have only ever driven through the outskirts of Maysville before so it really was foreign to me but after spending some time walking the downtown streets with this amazing couple, I could totally see the appeal of living in a small town!

What will stay with me from this session though, is the absolute tangible love between Kyle and Taylor.  Not that every couple I meet are not in love, because they truly are, but sometimes, you find a couple that just has that extra spark.  These two definitely have it!  We can’t wait for their wedding day!

Cool Spaces and Places: Events with Design Rustic handmade Wood tables

We really enjoyed getting to see some GREAT ideas at the Art of Entertaining this year. One of our FAVORITES was this rustic barn table from Events with Design.

Now… the coolest thing about this table is that Shannon (one of the owners) hand made these tables!!! Is he fabulous or WHAT?!

The tables are 5 ft squares and will seat 8 people.  They rent for $35 per table plus $100 setup fee.  BUT… you don’t even need LINENS!  These tables are beautifully constructed and would definitely make a statement at your reception or event.

For more information on renting these tables (or any of their other fabulous rental choices), call Carrie at 859.260.1456.

IMAGE COURTESY: Honey Heart Photography, Lexington

We also love that Events with Design has VINTAGE China available for rent.  Vintage is HOT for weddings this year.  I LOVE this particular pattern:

For more information on the other items they offer for rental visit their website: http://www.eventswithdesign.com/rentals/

Emily & Chris’ Richmond / Eastern Kentucky University Engagement

Tonight we traveled to EKU for Emily and Chris’ Engagement session.  We were so happy that the rain held out because we definitely got some amazing shots!  I was also especially proud of the amount of UK blue that Emily had planned for her wardrobe!  She may have gone to EKU but it looks like she bleeds blue!  Can’t wait for their wedding in June! Here’s a sneak peek: